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The Ultimate Boat Company
The name may sound rather hubristic but thanks to a revolutionary new hull design it may not be far from the truth
What It's Like To Charter An 88ft Luxury Motoryacht In Mallorca!
A magical few days on board Boats.co.uk’s latest Princess 88 charter vessel gives a glimpse of just how special a charter holiday can be
THE GREAT LOOP
Princess V48 owner Maurice Elliott battles steering issues, notorious reefs, dangerous reptiles and the might of the US Navy to visit some of the East Coast’s most historic harbours en route to New York and the Great Lakes
MY FANTASY FLEET
Name: Mark Cherryholmes Current boat: 1972 American Marine Laguna, 1982 Proline Fisherman, 1973 Rinkerbuilt runabout Berthed: Lake Erie, Ohio USA
BOAT CUISINE
Think Torquay, think hospitality and what do you get? The answer may not be what you have in mind, says Phil Sampson
A GRAND COUPLE OF DAYS
PIY – Polish It Yourself – could save you thousands, says Phil Sampson, providing you don’t mind hard graft
FAIRLINE F LINE 33 OUTBOARD
With demand for outboards going through the roof, Fairline has made them an option on its sporty F-Line 33. How does this version compare to the inboard original? We head to a windswept Ipswich to find out
WALLY WHY 200
From the creators of the stunning but bonkers 118Wallypower and WHY53, the uber-cool WHY200 has genuine mainstream appeal
SUNSEEKER 90 OCEAN
An exclusive tour around Sunseeker’s hotly anticipated Ocean 90 confirms that this innovative new range is the life and soul of the party
WINDY SR44 BLACK HAWK
Ten years after the SR52 Blackbird blew us away there is a new, smaller SR model ready to take on an ever-growing field of challengers. With a sunny Solent as our playground it was time to put the SR44 through its paces
300MPH IN AN AEROPLANE COULD BE DESCRIBED AS QUITE MUNDANE. In a car, it's ludicrously fast. BUT IN A BOAT?
Everyone knows the story of Donald Campbell’s tragic crash on Coniston Water but few remember another all British attempt 15 years earlier. Now a new book reveals what really happened to John Cobb and his jet-powered Crusader
FUEL FOR THOUGHT
What better way to test the production version of the Cox CXO300 than on the brilliant Axopar 37? Is this a new dawn for diesel-fuelled outboards?
MAREX TO THE RESCUE
Monitoring Ch16 turned a routine return journey into a rescue mission for Richard Hall
AQUAHOLIC
Nick Burnham: Boating doesn’t have to be fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff to be fun. Sometimes a chilled weekend aboard is just what the doctor ordered, as Nick attests
THE ULTIMATE UPCYCLE
Why upgrade to a newer boat when you can make your current one look as good as new with the aid of a designer refit service?
FERRETTI 1000
LOA 98ft 10in (30.1m) BEAM 22ft 4in (6.8m) ENGINES MTU 16V 2,217hp – 2,638hp TOP SPEED 28 knots PRICE FROM €8,400,000 ex VAT CONTACT www.ferretti-yachts.com
AZIMUT GRANDE TRIDECK
LOA 125ft 4in (38.2m) BEAM 25ft 11in (7.9m) ENGINES Twin MTU 2,400hp-2,600hp TOP SPEED 24 knots PRICE TBA CONTACT www.azimutyachts.com
NIMBUS C11
The C11 sits at the top Nimbus’s sportsboat tree but can this twin diesel wheel house cruiser justify its hefty price tag?
SUPERMARINE SPEARFISH 32
With the faultless Alan Burnard Fairey hull at its core, can this modern interpretation of a 1960s classic live up to the reputation of its iconic predecessors?
TRAILER TROUBLES
Scratched topsides get stopgap repairs while a Bluetooth-compatible stereo turns up the fun for Hugo Andreae
SUNSEEKER MANHATTAN 55
How do you go about improving the most successful model you have ever made? That was the task facing Sunseeker in updating the 52 – has it succeeded?
XO 260 DSCVR
After a few years out of the spotlight, XO is back with a bullet-proof new sports boat that combines user-friendly features with laser-sharp handling
THE ITALIAN JOB
Thomas and Jutta Kittel push on round the bottom of Italy’s boot from Messina in Sicily opposite the toe to Manfredonia tucked under the heel’s spur on the Adriatic coast
GYRO WARS
Thanks to new owners Yanmar, Smartgyro’s latest range of efficient, easy-to-install and competitively priced gyroscopic stabilisers now has the firepower to challenge market leaders Seakeeper. Let battle commence
HOW TO USE A LIFEJACKET PROPERLY
Wearing a lifejacket is one of the most important things you can do to increase safety afloat but unless you wear and maintain it correctly, it won’t work as well as it’s meant to if and when you fall into the water. Any Personal Flotation Device (PFD) provides buoyancy that helps keep you afloat. This is measured in Newtons and for most PFDs starts at 50N. However, from 150N upwards it should be buoyant enough to turn you face up even when unconscious, greatly improving your chances of survival.
COBRA NAUTIQUE 9.2m
As buyers go crazy for outboard-propelled sports boats where does this leave the luxury RIB market? There’s no better way to find out than testing a fully kitted out Cobra in blustery conditions
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURISTS
Kelston and Jackie Tobin didn’t intend to circumnavigate Britain, but after cruising from Kent to the Solent they decided to keep on going
BUSINESS & PLEASURE
Stephen Hubbard is living proof that you can mix business with pleasure after buying a custom-built Cockwells then investing in the yard and restoring a Dunkirk Little Ship
BLUE'S FINAL FLING
Jack Haines delivers his verdict on the Ultra anchor and prepares to bid a fond farewell to Blues Away
A STEEP LEARNING CURVE PART 2
Having swapped their 35ft sailing boat for a twin-engined Nelson 38, motor boat newbies Cas and Dave Peace share their experience of getting to grips with their new toy and their first full year afloat